Question

a pair of silk stockings is an 1897 short story written by kate chopin. in the story, mrs. sommers is depicted as sometimes making decisions without conscious deliberation. which quotation from a pair of silk stockings most effectively illustrates the claim? a she was not thinking at all. she seemed for the time to be taking a rest from that laborious and fatiguing function and to have abandoned herself to some mechanical impulse that directed her actions and freed her of responsibility. b she had no time—no second of time to devote to the past. the needs of the present absorbed her every faculty. c a young girl who stood behind the counter asked her if she wished to examine their line of silk hosiery. she smiled, just as if she had been asked to inspect a tiara of diamonds with the ultimate view of purchasing it. d mrs. sommers after that did not move in the direction of the bargain counter.

Explanation:

The claim is that Mrs. Sommers makes decisions without conscious deliberation. Option A directly states she was not thinking and was following a mechanical impulse (which implies no conscious thought in decision - making). Option B is about focusing on the present, not about decision - making without deliberation. Option C is about her reaction to an offer, not about her decision - making process. Option D is just a statement about her movement, not related to the claim.

Answer:

A. "She was not thinking at all. She seemed for the time to be taking a rest from that laborious and fatiguing function and to have abandoned herself to some mechanical impulse that directed her actions and freed her of responsibility."